The most effective folk remedies for the common cold

Shortness of breath gives a person a lot of inconvenience. It is hard to talk with a stuffy nose, it’s difficult to sleep, eating also causes discomfort. If this condition is left untreated, there is a likelihood of complications.

Most often, with a runny nose, we go to the pharmacy for vasoconstrictor drops. They seem to us the simplest and most harmless way of treatment. However, the drops cause addiction.

Natural medicines can also be a good way to overcome the ailment. Today, there are many home recipes that relieve unpleasant sensations.

What folk remedies for the common cold can be used and what are the nuances of the treatment of folk medicine, we will tell in our article.

How to act when a runny nose

Measures to eliminate the common cold should not be postponed until later. Inflammation of the nasal mucosa will not go away on its own, besides it can go into an acute form, provoke ear diseases and the development of cough.

When the first symptoms of the disease appear, take action. Treatment of the common cold with folk remedies can be carried out in various ways.

For instance:

• by washing;
• warming up;
• by inhalation;
• massage method of the sinuses;
• using ointments.

With complex treatment, you can much more quickly eliminate unpleasant symptoms and bring recovery closer. Perform the procedure in accordance with certain rules. Consider the features of using each method.

Important! Treatment at home is advisable only at the initial stage of the disease. If your condition worsens, do not hesitate. Go see a therapist. Running a runny nose is fraught with serious complications.

Nasal lavage

In the fight against nasal congestion, the first measures should be aimed at clearing the airways from mucus. This task is best done by washing.

If the treatment of the common cold with folk remedies was started immediately, then the ailment disappears quickly enough. Sputum in the nose liquefies well, mucus comes out and it becomes easy to breathe. The procedure helps to disinfect the mucosa, so that the development and spread of the disease stops.

Rinsing can be done with a small syringe or syringe. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Fill the selected container with the treatment compound.
2. With your head pushed forward (above the sink), enter the fluid first into one nostril, then into another.

When you enter the solution into one nostril, the fluid passes through all the nasal passages, leaches the sputum, pathogens, and crusts and leaves through the second nostril.

This method can be used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of viral infections. It is applicable for both adults and children.

Wash Solution Recipes

Treatment of nasal congestion with a wash method involves the use of various compounds. To prepare them, you can use one of the following recipes:

1. In one glass of liquid (room temperature) add 0.5 tablespoon of soda. If desired, you can supplement the composition with a couple of drops of iodine.
2. In a glass of warm water, add half a teaspoon of sea salt. If not available, you can use regular food.
3. A tablespoon of dried chamomile flowers, eucalyptus leaves or St. John's wort pour 250 ml of boiling water. Let the broth brew for 40 minutes. Strain the resulting infusion and rinse your nose several times a day.
4. Powder a tablet of furatsilin and fill it with a glass of water. Stir the solution thoroughly and use as needed.

Folk remedies for the common cold include washing with mineral water (without gas), a solution of beet juice (diluted with water 1: 1), green tea and lemon juice. In the latter case, the main component is diluted with boiled water (1: 1). If this is not done, you can burn the mucous membrane!

The use of inhalation in the fight for free breathing

Folk remedies in the form of inhalation help get rid of a runny nose and stuffy nose very quickly. During the procedures, you can use a special inhaler or a large towel and a container for a therapeutic solution.

The latter is prepared using herbs and essential oils. If you use a steam apparatus for breathing procedures, then adding oil is prohibited.

To prepare the solution, take the herb of thyme, St. John's wort and lavender in equal parts. Pour them with boiling water, strain and fill in a special container of a nebulizer (inhaler).

If you do not have such a device at home, do not despair. Use methods that for several decades allowed you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms before the advent of specialized equipment.

To carry out the procedure, you will need potatoes. The recipe is quite simple:

1. Boil a few unpeeled potatoes in a pan. Wash them first!
2. When the potatoes are boiled, drain the liquid and gently squeeze it in a pan.
3. Take a comfortable position over the container with boiled vegetables, cover your head and pan with a blanket or a large towel.
4. Inhale the vapor for 15 minutes.

Similar actions can be carried out 2 times a day. The last inhalation is best done before going to bed. Pairs of potatoes will ease your breathing, relax and set you up for rest.

Therapeutic warming: pros and cons

Drying your nose with dry heat has been popular for many years. However, not many people know that such folk remedies for the common cold can not only improve the condition, but also cause serious harm.

So, in what cases can not warm the nose:

• if a purulent form of sinusitis is diagnosed;
• if the patient has a high fever;
• if swelling of the mucosa is caused by fungal pathogens;
• with meningococcal infection.

With a slight runny nose, you can and even need to warm your nose. This is done as follows:

1. Boil one chicken egg.
2. Wrap it in a handkerchief or piece of clean cloth.
3. Apply a warm compress to the nose.

The heat exposure time should not exceed 15 minutes. Blood in the capillaries will begin to move faster, mucus secretion will stop. Such treatment of the common cold with folk remedies will quickly relieve you of swelling of the mucosa and provide easy breathing.

For this purpose, you can use not only eggs, but also buckwheat, salt, wheat. They need to be preheated in a pan, wrapped in a dense cloth and used in the same way.

Important! The temperature of the compress should be pleasant to the skin. Overheating the nose is strictly prohibited!

Acupressure technique for the common cold

You think, what folk remedy can cure a runny nose, if there is no time for the preparation of medicines? Try a massage. Many are surprised by this method, but it helps the body cope with the disease quite effectively.

To correctly carry out the procedure, you need to consider the following rules:

• fingers should be warm;
• movements - careful and smooth;
• pressure and rotation - continuous;
• the duration of the procedure is 10 minutes.

If you have a high fever, treatment with this method should be postponed! During the massage, you may feel slight pain. Do not be scared, this is quite normal.

You need to massage several points:

1. The intersection of the nose and eyebrow lines.
2. Two symmetrical hollows in the temples (located 2 cm from the eyebrows).
3. Points located on both sides at the base of the nose (near the inner edges of the eyes).
4. The points between the nostrils and the upper lip.

The listed areas are massaged alternately. If we are talking about paired points, then you need to click on them at the same time. When conducting a massage, you need to close your eyes. Each point should be massaged for about 1 minute. Movements can be directed both clockwise and against it.

Such treatment of the common cold with folk remedies will quickly save you from a headache and a feeling of heaviness in the nose. During the massage you can feel pressure on the bridge of the nose. After the procedure, it will become much easier for you.

Ointments for the common cold according to folk recipes

Another way to treat a runny nose with folk remedies is ointment. They replenished the arsenal of alternative medicine quite a long time ago, so they have already managed to demonstrate their effectiveness.

There are many recipes for making ointments for nasal congestion. Here are some examples of the most popular options.

The simplest recipe involves the use of lemon, honey and sunflower oil. To prepare the ointment, you need to grind a couple of citruses in a blender, add a tablespoon of honey and oil to the resulting mixture. The resulting gruel should be lubricated in the morning and before bedtime.

Folk remedies for the treatment of the common cold in adults indicate the high efficiency of onion ointment. To prepare it, a glass of sunflower oil should be brought to a boil in a water bath, add the onion (previously cut into large half rings). The composition must be insisted for about 8 hours, after which it is used to lubricate the nose twice a day.

You can also try the following recipes for ointments:

1. Take 0.5 cups of vegetable oil, a couple of tablespoons of Kalanchoe juice, a couple of streptocide tablets, 2 grams of beeswax and propolis. Heat oil, beeswax and honey in a water bath. Grind tablets of streptocide and propolis in a separate container. Pour them with hot liquid and add aloe juice to the composition. Mix the ointment thoroughly and refrigerate. Use it to lubricate your nose several times a day. This tool helps to cope not only with a runny nose, but also with a cough. If it occurs, lubricate the chest with ointment and wrap yourself in a blanket.
2. To make the second remedy, prepare 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, milk, alcohol, honey and onion juice. Also grate the laundry soap on a fine grater. You will need 2 tablespoons of it. All components must be mixed and placed in a water bath. The composition must be heated until the soap is completely dissolved. In the resulting mixture, you need to moisten cotton swabs and smear your nose. After 15 minutes, the product must be washed off. Use it three times a day.

All ointments are applied to the inside of the nose wings. It is most convenient to use cotton buds for this. However, smearing your nose is not too deep.

Folk remedies for the common cold in the form of drops

Alternative medicine offers quite a few options for the manufacture of drops to eliminate the common cold. There are separate means to combat nasal congestion, to stop the production of mucus. Drops are convenient in that they can be prepared once, poured into a convenient container and taken with you to work.

Treatment of the common cold with folk remedies (fast) in adults can be carried out using one of these recipes:

1. Take a medium-sized onion, peel it. Grind the vegetable in a blender or on a fine grater.
2. Pour the resulting slurry with boiling water (2 tablespoons of onion 1 cup boiling water).
3. Let the mixture infuse for half an hour.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of liquid honey to the cooled liquid and mix well.
5. Strain the tincture. Place 2 drops in each nostril.

After getting the product on the irritated mucosa, you may feel a slight burning sensation. In a few minutes it will pass. And after 3 days (as the reviews indicate) you will completely forget about the common cold.

An alternative to onion drops is the following infusion:

1. Take a freshly cut and washed aloe leaf.
2. Grind it and squeeze all the juice through cheesecloth.
3. Mix it with liquid honey (in a 1: 1 ratio).

The resulting drops have an anti-inflammatory effect on the nasal mucosa. As a result, patients note a decrease in swelling and a decrease in the formation of mucus.

An effective tool for nasal instillation can be made from a couple of drops of sunflower oil, beetroot juice and garlic juice. All ingredients must be mixed and used for instillation of the nose.

Please note that beetroot juice can bake! If after instillation you notice a similar reaction, refuse to use this recipe.

Treatment of a common cold in children

Traditional medicine has many ways to deal with a runny nose. Some are considered more sparing, others are radical. Reviews about treatment with natural ingredients are so positive that many even use them to treat children.

Note! Folk remedies for the common cold in adults can not always be used to treat children. If the disease appears in a child, first of all discuss the scheme of his treatment with a doctor.

When a runny nose has just appeared, rinse the baby’s nose with saline. This method is absolutely safe and is even used to treat infants. For this purpose, you can use sea salt with water (1: 0.5) or pharmacy saline. A harmless and useful tool for washing the nose is a decoction of chamomile flowers.

As drops, you can use Kalanchoe juice diluted with water. The ingredients are mixed in a ratio of 1:10. You can bury a child’s nose with such compounds 2-4 times a day.

If the doctor permits, use inhalation with a potato broth or soda solution. The potato is used in the above way. Soda inhalation is done in proportion to water 1:25. Eucalyptus and sage oils can be added to the warm liquid. The exposure time is not more than 10 minutes.

If you decide to use herbs for inhalation, you must be sure that your child does not have allergies to them. Otherwise, itching and swelling of the nasal mucosa will intensify. Pre-negotiate each treatment method with a pediatrician!

Features of the treatment of the common cold in pregnant women

Pregnancy is the period when you least want to take any medications. But what if the expectant mother caught a cold? It is possible to cure a runny nose with folk remedies (as soon as possible) in such a situation, but not all recipes can be used.

If an ailment occurs, consult a doctor immediately. Focusing on your condition and the nature of the course of pregnancy, a specialist will tell you the best method of treatment.

Remember! To use folk remedies for the common cold and congestion is possible only with full confidence in its safety!

As mentioned above, first of all, use harmless nose rinses with saline. Chamomile broth is also not included in the list of prohibited products.

To improve the condition, you can take a mixture of viburnum juice and honey. The components must be mixed in equal proportions and taken orally by 1 tablespoon (before each meal). The common strengthening effect for colds is exerted by the currant fruit drink.

At the first signs of the disease, an onion compress can be used. To do this, the vegetable must be ground until gruel and put in gauze. Lubricate the skin in the nose bridge with sunflower oil, apply gauze to it.

To summarize

Treatment of the common cold with folk remedies at home in many cases shows good results. Nevertheless, this is not a reason for treatment without the participation of specialists. Consult a doctor! Eliminate serious illnesses and only after that use recipes for preparing natural medicines.